Check our newly-created YouTube Channel for more NYAFF videos like the ones below! We’ll be videotaping all of our Q&A sessions this year and bringing them to you mere days after they actually happen. It’s almost like you’re here with us!

Writer / director Wai Ka-fai discusses his new film WRITTEN BY in a post-film Q&A session, divided into four sections below:

Comments (0) Jun 24 2009

Sorry for the blog silence, but hey – we’ve got a festival on here!

To say this weekend was busy for us is like saying that nearby Christopher Street is a little bit gay; it was chaotic, stressful, surprising, frustrating, panic-filled, but ultimately terrific as Wai Ka-fai charmed NY audiences after screenings of his new film WRITTEN BY and a retro screening of a gorgeous print of 1998’s THE LONGEST NITE.

We’ll be back soon with some updates, news, photos and other goodies, but for now, feast your eyes on this.

Yes – another new development for us this year. Our plan in 2009 is to shoot all of our Q&As and guest appearances and get them online within a few days of them happening. Links will appear on this blog, and eventually on the main Subway Cinema website. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel to be automatically notified of any updates. It’s almost like you’re here with us, except you don’t have to stand in line or sit next to someone you don’t like!

Comments (1) Jun 22 2009

A really great piece is out today from Dave Kehr in the New York Times. He singles out BREATHLESS, the pink films, Japan’s capital punishment gem VACATION and the amazing ALL AROUND US for special mention. Go read, then buy tickets until your fingers bleed!

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Comments (2) Jun 19 2009

The program guides are printed, the prints and master tapes are almost all accounted for, Wai Ka-fai has been sighted at JFK, and the popcorn is popping. The 8th New York Asian Film Festival begins in a little less than 16 hours and we’re exhausted, angry, stressed-out, worried about the rainy weather and sniping at each other constantly, but we’re ready to go and excited about the next 17 days of movies, guests, parties and sleepless nights.

Join us starting at noon tomorrow for opening weekend, which promises Hong Kong action; giant monsters; the World Premiere of Written By, starring Lau Ching-wan; softcore sex comedies; gory horror; Japanese end-of-the-world sci-fi; a cool indie HK noir; Korean spies, and much, much more.

Some of the New York papers have already chimed in with their festival preview reports, including the New York Times, the New York Post, and the Village Voice.

Tickets are available at IFC Center for the next two weeks of shows; we’ll give you an update on what’s likely to sell out in another day or two. Until then, pardon us, but we’ve got a festival to run!

Comments (0) Jun 18 2009

This year’s NYAFF entry, THE CLONE RETURNS HOME, gets a great write-up on the Criterion website courtesy of Michael Atkinson, who covered the festival for years over at the Village Voice before they released him back into the wild. It’s a great read, and explores the CLONE/SOLARIS connection in intimate detail.

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Read it here.

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Comments (0) Jun 17 2009

After taking a look at the sales reports last night, here’s what’s selling faster than a bunny on crystal meth:

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- ROUGH CUT (see previous)

- VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL

- IP MAN

- WARLORDS

- WRITTEN BY

- K-20: LEGEND OF THE MASK

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Comments (3) Jun 17 2009

Well, that was unexpected. Tickets to ROUGH CUT are selling faster than unlocked iPhones. In fact, we’ve completely sold out the 6/24 screening of ROUGH CUT but we’re going to try to put more tickets on sale for it as soon as possible (just watch this space for an announcement as soon as it happens). The 6/23 screening of ROUGH CUT has sold 2/3 of its tickets, so if you want one I advise you to get it now. So Ji-Sub will be at both screenings and who would’ve thought he’d be this popular! Good on you, So.

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“How did I get so popular and pretty?”

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Comments (3) Jun 17 2009

We learned a bit of bad news last night: Lau Ching-wan has canceled his appearance at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival. Citing a combination of work commitments and fears of swine flu, he regretfully withdraws from the fest and sends his apologies.

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We’re very sad he won’t be coming, especially since we take a great deal of trouble to make sure swine sit in a separate section during our screenings so as not to make anyone sick.

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The good news is that writer/director Wai Ka-fai will still be attending, he’s just as handsome as Lau Ching-wan and he’ll be introducing and doing a Q&A at the following shows:

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Friday, June 19 @ 9pm – WRITTEN BY with Wai Ka-fai

Saturday, June 20 @ 5:30pm – THE LONGEST NITE with Wai Ka-fai

Sunday, June 21 @ 7:20pm – WRITTEN BY with Wai Ka-fai

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“Lau Ching-wan, we are waiting for you!”

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“No.”

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Comments (6) Jun 16 2009

The New York Asian Film Festival 2009 site is up and running and tickets to all shows are available via the website. There are two special passes on sale that you can read about here, and also check out the ticket info page for pricing and online purchase information. If you’ve got a choice, you can buy your tickets in advance at the IFC and Japan Society box offices now and save yourself from the online purchase charges.

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Now get clicking!

Comments (4) Jun 10 2009

For the third year in a row, the New York Asian Film Festival is screening a film by China’s most successful, popular, and pine scented director, Feng Xiaogang. First it was THE BANQUET, then it was ASSEMBLY and now we’re screening IF YOU ARE THE ONE, one of the funniest, smartest and, yes, most romantic romantic comedies ever made. Plus: it stars Shu Qi. When we were originally writing up the program notes we wrote that IF YOU ARE THE ONE is the second-highest-grossing movie ever released in China. We were wrong. I just found out that it’s the highest-grossing movie ever released in China, unseating TITANIC, which held the #1 spot for years.

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More info coming soon, but you can buy tickets here:

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Wednesday, June 24 @ 4pm

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Wednesday, July 1 @ 9:30pm

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(note: links fixed 6/18)

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Comments (1) Jun 08 2009